New Grower Reflectors and lenses, are they worth it?

[az2000]

I'm new to LEDs. I notice some fixtures are LEDs mounted on a white board. Others use a mirror reflector. Some use a reflector and lenses.

Am I correct in assuming the white backboard causes more diffused lighting, and therefore requires more wattage to send light in more directions (to maintain appropriate strength at the plant)?

If so, is the added manufacturing/engineering expense of reflectors worth it? Or, are reflectors/lenses a throwback to a time when LEDs weren't up to the job, and needed the additional help? (I don't think so because Blackstar's latest "v2 2014" models use them.).

I'm having trouble understanding which design is best. It seems like the more professional lights use reflectors (and perhaps lenses too). While the deeply discounted lights don't.

 

[pop22]

I'm new to LEDs. I notice some fixtures are LEDs mounted on a white board. Others use a mirror reflector. Some use a reflector and lenses.

Am I correct in assuming the white backboard causes more diffused lighting, and therefore requires more wattage to send light in more directions (to maintain appropriate strength at the plant)?

If so, is the added manufacturing/engineering expense of reflectors worth it? Or, are reflectors/lenses a throwback to a time when LEDs weren't up to the job, and needed the additional help? (I don't think so because Blackstar's latest "v2 2014" models use them.).

I'm having trouble understanding which design is best. It seems like the more professional lights use reflectors (and perhaps lenses too). While the deeply discounted lights don't.

The white background is very close to Mylar in reflectivity. In LED grow lights, its a matter of the manufacturer's reflector design, type and layout of the LEDs, etc. It likely makes little differnce in a standard design.

 

[steelrat]

May be a good idea to go on the hardware tried and tested by others here.

There's some stuff to read up on in the LED section, and many people here use the Grow Northern lights that Dutch Passion are doing a deal on at the moment.


All the best,

steely

 

[Torched]

I'm new to LEDs. I notice some fixtures are LEDs mounted on a white board. Others use a mirror reflector. Some use a reflector and lenses.

Am I correct in assuming the white backboard causes more diffused lighting, and therefore requires more wattage to send light in more directions (to maintain appropriate strength at the plant)?

If so, is the added manufacturing/engineering expense of reflectors worth it? Or, are reflectors/lenses a throwback to a time when LEDs weren't up to the job, and needed the additional help? (I don't think so because Blackstar's latest "v2 2014" models use them.).

I'm having trouble understanding which design is best. It seems like the more professional lights use reflectors (and perhaps lenses too). While the deeply discounted lights don't.

Most LED also have an internal reflector/lens that focuses the light to a specific beam angle. So the external reflectors are not as necessary. As for the 2x and 3x external lenses I heard great things about those lights I've also read they cut down the amount of light passing through while focusing it.
At the end of it all it's hype.
Really there is so much back and forth and different variables at play; that it's almost always best to follow grows and use a light that has had success and good reviews from a company that backs up their product locally for you. What good is a warranty if you have to spend as much as the light to send it to china to be repaired.

 

[TaNg]

LEDs tend to have a lens as part of the encapsulation,secondary optics/reflectors are added to capture and deliver the light in a desired way for instance a 90 degree beam angle.